Building an entry door

[Craig Che]

I am thinking about building an entry door for our future house, it would be out of mahogany (South American). Would this work, doing the 3 layers would give huge glue surface area for the joints and separate the outside and inside wood. The panels would be thinner solid wood (like 1/2") and a separating layer of ridgid foam to keep the door solid & insulated. The 1/2" panels would be floating so they could move.

I can't really do the stave core and glue laminate on top of that, don't have the proper tools to do it right. The other option would be 2.25" solid wood for the rails and styles, but worried about it warping & finding straight boards to start with.

Here is a little drawing of what I am thinking. Done a lot of reading but sounds like most do a stave core with thin laminate, would 1/2" material on the stave core be too much (ie, movement tear apart the core)?

Thanks

[Frank Drew]

Craig,

Without telling you not to make the door thickness 2.25", 1.75" is a very common thickness for exterior doors. Whatever, you should be able to find mahogany thick enough for your door without laminating, which is, IMO, not as good a choice as solid, and is certainly a lot more work. I think the best choice for joinery would be mortise and tenon; through tenons (sometimes wedged) were often used in traditional work.

If I understand your other question correctly, you're wondering if laminated panels would work, with wood sandwiching a foam core. That would work, and it probably would a bit of R-value, although a solid wood exterior door is already a reasonably good insulator.

[Craig Che]

So building the door out of 3 thinner pieces would work ok, but the best choice is solid wood with mortise & tenon? Having widely varying temp & humidity between the outside and inside wouldn't create a warping issue?

Thickness shouldn't be an issue, I am going to build the frame to hang the door on also.

[Abe Hachmann]

I would spend some time researching this in the knowedge base over at the woodweb forum. I have learned and incredible amount about door construction over there. I would use the laminated stile and rail approach alternating the growth rings.

[Craig Che]

Thanks Abe, I have spent quite a bit of time there but have gotten some contradicting info. Some have said over 1/8" laminate will be too thick and allows the wood to move too much and can create problems.

[Paul Girouard]

That method will work, I've never done it that way, but I know a guy near here who specializes in custom doors and he has used the laminated method.

Be advised hinges and door hardware ,lock sets , dead bolts are geared to 1 3/8" and 1 3/4" door thicknesses. as the other poster mentioned.

You can find hardware to do the job but you'll pay bigger dollars for it.

Watch the growth rings, as mentioned, and moisture content as well.

Post some photos to , we want proof;)

[Frank Drew]

So building the door out of 3 thinner pieces would work ok, but the best choice is solid wood with mortise & tenon? Having widely varying temp & humidity between the outside and inside wouldn't create a warping issue?

That describes the situation most exterior doors live in, and millions and milliions of them have done just fine over the years. IMO, the door jamb moving due to the house settling is more of a problem than a properly constructed door warping after being hung (assuming correct finish inside and outside AND on all edges, esp. top and bottom.)

[Mark Singer]

The 3 laminations add stability. Really good pattern grade mahog. sometimes doen't require it if you select the pieces with care. A friend of mine only build doors and laminates 3 layers. I have made and hung many doors over the years. Setting the jambs correctly and cross stringing for plane is critical. If the door warps as they somtimes do you really can't hang it well... a dime fits a nickle won't tolerance. I would laminatte